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Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

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Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

Photo 1 of 4
by Sarah Shatz

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

Photo 2 of 4
by Sarah Shatz

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

Photo 3 of 4
by Sarah Shatz

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

Photo 4 of 4
by dymnyno

  • A&M's Testing Notes: People who taste this smooth, fragrant tart won't believe that it contains a whole lemon, rind and all! Nor will they understand how you got it to be so fragrant and light and not at all gummy...

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    dymnyno's Notes: Versions of this simple quick dessert have circulated around the valley for years. It's a great dessert to make at the last minute. I have quite a few lemon trees , mostly Eureka (big thick...

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Serves 1 tart

  1. Put all ingredients (except tart shell) into a blender and whirl like crazy!

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  2. Pour into tart shell.

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  3. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees (watch that the top does not burn).

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653_1_ Reply

Thanks for the easy one.

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GREAT recipe! And it works for the lazy, LOW CARB types, too! I use a press in crust of almond flour, melted butter and a little xylitol, and sub xylitol for sugar - using less, only barely one cup this time, and 3/4 c last time, and it was fine! Add some whipped cream? Just delicious!!

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Like AntoniaJames, my Meyers are just ripening, too. (I'm in L.A.) Can't wait to try. My go-to tart crust is Clotilde's from the Chocolate and Zucchini website. You just press it into the pan.

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For lack of a Meyer lemon I substituted 2 very small thin-skinned regular lemons - as opposed to the larger more substantial ones. (This, of course, resulted in a visit from the produce manager asking why I was "playing" with the lemons.) Whatever..... I followed the blender directions, but baked it in a Keebler Chocolate Crumb Crust. Oh my!!! Topped with a dollop of real whipped cream, this is heaven on a plate!

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Question - do you partially bake the tart shell before filling?

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Yes, Bake the crust for about 10 minutes. It give the crust a head start so the filling doesn't get overcooked.

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Quick question, has anyone tried this with a sugar substitute like honey or stevia? I'm on a sugar free regime. Thanks!

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I made this delightful tart with Rose Levy Beranbaum's basic flakey pie crust recipe and followed the directions exactly as listed. It only took 35 minutes to bake this tart. It's totally worth a try. So easy to make and very impressive in it's flavors!

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Loved it and I found a Meyer Lemon...next time I think I may throw some coconut into the blender just to try it out.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

That sounds like a wonderful idea!

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no Meyer lemons to be found =- so just chopped up one large lemon - did take the seeds out but that was all and whirled away in the blender and popped it in the oven,
Oh my goodness - new favorite dessert. My husband and son wanted to eat what was left but I hid it from them so I could savor it today!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

I am so happy that you loved my tart!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Did you make your own crust or my new improved?

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My own crust - how do I find your new and improved?

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Variations on a theme...with no meyer lemons to be found I substituted another thin skinned citrus: kumquats. If you love kumquats this was quite good...but ya gotta love kumquats! The higher peel to interior ratio made for a "not so smooth" tart but it was pretty and the flavor was all there. I also made one with regular lemon that I zested, removed the white layer and processed the same way. They were both delicious. I was too lazy to make crust but Trader Joe's frozen crust is pretty darn good.

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I made it yesterday with a regular lemon as my Meyer tree is inside and just bloomed with flowers, so no lemons yet. I took one lemon and cut 2 slices which I used with the rind and the rest of it I cut off the rind and just pitted it and threw it all in. It came out amazing, everyone loved it. It has a tiny bit of that sharp taste from the rind but everyone liked it. If I did it again I'd try it with just one slice of the rind and probably cut back on the sugar (I didn't use superfine sugar, just regular and most of the comments were about it being a little too sweet). Super easy, even with making my own crust (but I bake all the time so this was easy to me). Great recipe!

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Wonderful! Made this with my circa 1964 Waring blender - in constant use over all these years. Reminds me of the kind of "magical" recipes that circulated during those early years of blender cooking: chocolate mousse, hollandaise, etc etc

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I made two today, and they were obscenely good. Made the first using one good size Meyer lemon, after seeding, of course, and also removing the membrane from the wedges. As previously stated, Meyers vary in sweetnes, and mine were particularly sweet. This tart came out fabu-fabu, but I wanted to try another. Using the same lemons, I added one and a half, same procedure. This one came out awesome as well, but with more natural lemon essence, understandably so. So, point being, this is a winner recipe, and will be to play around with, without altering the essentials. Thank you for such a fresh, charming recipe!!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Thank You , Thank You!!! Try my improved version...the crust is wonderful. I have been using the crust recipe for both sweet and savory pies and tarts

Kitchenaid Reply

On your next trial, don't bother seeding the lemon or removing the membrane. The coolest thing about this recipe is that it's designed to blend the entire lemon, peel, seeds & all. (Which is why it's so important that it's a meyer lemon rather than a regular lemon.) That lazy step feels crazy when you do it, but tastes soooooooooooo good in the end product.

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How do i find the improved version and your crust??

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I agree with that the lemon flavor wasn't lemony/tart enough. I thought next time i should add some conventional lemon juice to pick the flavor up.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Meyer lemons are pretty sweet. Maybe cut back on the sugar and it will be a little tarter.

Dscn0826 Reply

I love Meyer lemons in tarts for the very reason they aren't so tart, just as I like lemons for their tartness. Different fruits for different tarts. This is a brilliant recipe.

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This was very easy to make (much easier than squeezing lemons for juice and zesting the rind), and it was good, just not as lemon-y as I was hoping for, maybe Meyer lemons are going out of season . . .

174060_100000008404888_3554258_n Reply

Went right out to Fresh Market for the Meyer lemon and made the pie this afternoon. It's like an easy version of the Shaker Lemon pie so popular here in central KY. Same fresh sharp lemon taste and chess pie-like texture, but no fine slicing required. Thanks!

174060_100000008404888_3554258_n Reply

Also, I used two Meyer lemons instead of one.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Hey! Thanks...try my improved version...great crust!

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This is fabulous. The only thing holding me back from making this twice a week is my crust snobbery. I can't bring myself to buy one.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Try my improved version...lazy Mary makes crust!!

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Made this today and it is, in a word, divine. Used the pate sucree recipe from MSL Aug 2008 issue (1/2 recipe). Also, I used a rectangular 13x4" tart pan. It baked up in 30 minutes at 350.

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Would this be too sweet with one the the press-in type doughs?

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

One of the reasons for "Lazy Mary" is that I use one of those store bought press in doughs...

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

New version with a fabulous crust!

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Dymnyno, you are a lifesaver! I've made about a half dozen of these since you posted this recipe, and it's now a favorite. So easy to make that I always volunteer to bring dessert to any get together. It's so beautiful and elegant and looks like you slaved at it all day. Pure genius!

Kitchenaid Reply

Wow wow wow.I think my world just shifted on its axis & I have a new sun! This Lemon Tart is the easiest dessert I've ever made & one of the most delicious. Taking the Lazy in the title literally, I bought a frozen pie crust & just poured the blender ingredients in & baked it all at once. It took 45 minutes instead of 40, but came out perfectly golden & tasted amazing. I then did some taste-testing experiments: eating it hot, cold, at room temp & frozen/defrosted. My verdict? I agree with all the food picklers who said lemon pies taste best at room temperature. It also survived the freezer test & tasted "good" upon defrosting, but it lost some of the iridescent flavor it had when it was fresh. Thanks dymnyno for sharing this recipe!

Kitchenaid Reply

Does this pie freeze well? Please don't be offended by the question! I've been saving the recipe until meyer lemons came into season & just saw them in the store today. I have a lemon-lover friend who is out of town this month, and I'm afraid the meyer lemons will be gone by the time she returns.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

I have never tried freezing this pie. My own Meyer tree seems to have lemons from now until months from now! Seems like there is always something on the tree!

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I'm probably being anal here but Meyer lemons can be from very tiny to pretty good size. Would you say a "large" one is about 4oz...about the size of a handball?

BTW...I just bought a beautiful bagful at Trader Joe's. (4 oz, handball size of course!)

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Just curious if you tried this with the 4 oz. lemon. I've got my eye on those Meyer lemons from Trader Joe's too and I wondered if the lemon size was right. Guess i'm anal too. ;)

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I dithered and eventually used 1.5 of the 4 oz size ....so about 6 oz. It baked up fine but I cannot attest to the taste as I put it out on the buffet and it was gone before I got a chance to try it. Must have been good!

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Has anyone tried doubling this and making it in a 9x13 or so pan...or even a 15" jelly roll like a big lemon bar? I wonder if it would work? I have 25 coming for open house/dinner and I'm looking for some easy, big, in season and delicious dessert. TIA.

Newliztoqueicon-2 Reply

I only make it as is - but it is such a wonderful recipe, I strongly recommend it!

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Thanks...I plan to....I'm watching my tree and waiting for the lemons to ripen.

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No, and I don't think that I would try it. Both times I made it I was nervous that I took it out too soon. The top browned nicely but it had a slight jiggle to the center. I'd be nervous that the center wouldn't set if it were in a larger pan. That being said, it's an insanely incredible dessert!

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I just made this tart this morning for Thanksgiving dinner. I have a meyer lemon tree and the fruit just start to ripping. I don't know why my tart doesn't come out as good as everybody was so raved about. I definitely can taste the bitterness of the pith.
lemon lover

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Is it possible that the lemon was'nt ripe enough? The only time that I have had trouble making this was when I used a Eureka lemon and it was too bitter.

Newliztoqueicon-2 Reply

I have a Meyer lemon tree too - never tasted bitter pith in any of my lemon recipes. When I first made this incredible tart, I learned to cut back on the sugar! Perhaps it is just the difference between various trees...In any case, my are green golfballs and I want them to hurry up and ripen!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

One of the(many)things that I love about Meyer lemons is that they have very little pith and very thin skin.

Avatar Reply

Beautiful! I love the tang of lemon tarts, it's so refreshing and a great break from heavy desserts. This looks so fabulous.

661_front Reply

My husband made this to bring to a dinner party - delicious and so easy! Anyone ever tried it in a graham cracker crust?

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I thought that a Graham cracker crust would be delicious! Has anyone tried it?

Img_0134again Reply

Awesome recipe! I used Eureka lemons by zesting them and just using the fruit, and it came out delicious. My room mates totally devoured it in one evening. It's so simple and quick I'm making two more this Sunday. Thanks so much for sharing this!

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already made my mouth water & then I saw the idea of the pecan maple crust and now I'm craving it!

Wedding_pictures_162 Reply

I made this on vacation--it was so easy and delicious! But the oven was weird so it came out a little runny (which didn't keep people from coming back for seconds)--really great dessert!

Copy_of_me Reply

Meyer lemon, a favorite of mine; I recently made this tart and loved every bite, will definitely make again and again!

Newliztoqueicon-2 Reply

Made this for a dinner party tonight. Had some extra filling so I baked it in a ramekin. It's hard to believe I used a whole lemon...I think I will reduce the sugar some next time - so hard to judge, as Meyer lemons vary re sweetness. Thank you-

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Great!! I just made it myself for a dinner party at a friends house tonight. She will be expecting my Sara's almond tart so this will be a surprise.

_mg_2033-11 Reply

Made this tonight. AMAZING! I almost ate the entire thing. Such a great winter/citrus dessert/breakfast.

Untitled-1 Reply

Second time in this month. I got obsessed.

036 Reply

Made this for a dinner party Saturday night and it was a HIT! I used a pecan maple crust recipe that is super easy (Lazy Me!
:-) and it all came together perfectly. Bless you Lazy Mary! This appears to be one of the most popular recipes on Food52!!!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Can you share the recipe for the pecan maple crust? I was considering a pine nut crust (a la French Laundry cookbook), but the pecan and maple sounds heavenly. I have a dinner party coming up and this is definitely on the menu.

036 Reply

Hey I JUST saw this post! Crust is easy-peasy and I don't really measure per se ... just mix half ground pecans half flour (maybe about 1/2 - 3/4 cups each) then pulse those with a stick of butter, then drizzle in enough maple syrup to form it into a sort of dough - I spray a pie plate with no-stick then press this mixture in - and that's IT ... I bake it as is for no bake (cream cheese) fillings and with your tart I just filled and baked and it was perfect!

Gizma_and_frou_frou Reply

made this one yesterday. Excellent recipe, everybody enjoyed it including kids! Thanks for posting. I actually used only 1 cup of sugar and it was great and accentuated the flavor of the lemon. Also, trying Merrill & Amanda's approach for baking the tart shell, it was a little over baked, so I think I'll try dymnyno approach next time. This is a keeper!

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We made this last night and the results were fantastic. I used one meyer lemon that was big - maybe 3.5” in length and 2.5” in diameter. I cooked the tart for around 35 minutes until the top was brown. The flavor was sublime...Also, not a bad recipe to do with kids since the blender part is a kid magnet - easy, loud and foolproof.

Dsc_0048 Reply

I made this recipe as soon as I saw it! It was delish! However it didn't set and was runny, unlike the photo. What do you consider a "large" meyer lemon? I think they are normally smaller than regular lemons. I used two 2.5" long ones, assuming they were small, was that too much? Also, I didn't have superfine sugar, so I ground the regular sugar in the food processor. Lastly, I approximated the cooking time and it could've been a little under 40 min (was distracted with kids). I'm guessing that was probably the cause. Any advise would be much appreciated. Thank you so sharing this recipe!!!

Dsc_0048 Reply

P.S. Made it a 2nd time and it turned out perfect! I'm not sure what I did differently from the first time, except may be cooked it longer.

Img_1177_2 Reply

Looks amazing!

Img_1177_2 Reply

I made it this weekend, it was fabulous. I actually put the mixture into ramequins and in a water bath, it was a superb crust-less lemon tart!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Great idea, putting the mixture into ramekins. I've been thinking of doing that, too. How long did it take to cook them? Thanks! ;o)

Img_1177_2 Reply

I think 5 to 7 minutes longer than the tart...I've written about here: http://culinistannouchka.com/2010/02/22/meyer-lemon-pudding/

Heather_cooking Reply

I can't wait to try this! what a great recipe.

Ry_400 Reply

If the meyer lemons I found are small should I use two?

Ry_400 Reply

I finally made this "lazy tart" last night to accompany an equally lazy meal - stone crabs and mustard sauce from the fish market with roasted potatoes and asparagus. It was a fantastic end to the meal - much better than the traditional key lime pie. So good in fact that my husband and I both ate a slice for breakfast this morning and I'm making another one for our champagne tasting this Monday at the shop! Thanks for the recipe.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Yes, I would use two.

Ry_400 Reply

Made this three times already. It is very dangerous as I can't seem to resist my urges for just one more slice . . .over and over again!

Artdecowoman-main_full_green Reply

Congrats on the win! I've been looking at this recipe for several weeks thinking "REALLY? The WHOLE lemon?!" - as soon as I can get my hands on a Meyer lemon I'll give it a try!

Artdecowoman-main_full_green Reply

Second time was a charm. First time I learned to beware the stray seed!

Profile Reply

Very nice, I used a similar 'lazy technique' some time ago; making a tart with whole oranges and yogurt and no tart shell. You can find it with my recipes. I'll surely try this one with lemon as well, looks delicious and so fast.

Imag0337 Reply

So, if we have no way of sourcing a Meyer lemon, is this tart unattainable??

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I live in Vermont and was astonished and delighted to see them at my local Costco in Burlington two days ago - they were very high quality. You might try there if you have one nearby.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

I am not an expert on lemons. Meyer lemons are very sweet and have very thin skins with little bitter white pith. If you use a lemon with thin skin and very little pith it might work. Let me know if you try it.(I tried with a Eureka lemon once and it was aweful!)

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

If I were not using a Meyer lemon, I'd remove the outer. yellow zest and then remove everything inside the lemon, except the pips, of course. I.e., I'd make the tart using just the zest and the fruit, and not the pith and pips.

Green_apple_card Reply

OK, I am intrigued. I love lemon tarts, and I love meyer lemons. I can't wait to try this. Sorry about the red wine.

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call me really lazy - but can i use a "high-end" store bought pie shell??

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

of course!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

I have also made this without the crust...

Summer_2010_1048 Reply

Can't wait to make this. Fellow Meyer lemon freaks: try the Gourmet recipe for Meyer lemon marmalade (epicurious.com). It's amazingly delicious.

N538322836_1930755_1183 Reply

This is so perfect, just picked up many bags of Meyer lemons at Whole foods on sale $1.99 per bag!!! I am making this this weekend!

Maria_teresa_jorge_colour Reply

Congratulations for the prize, it's really deserved, great take on this lemon Tart. Thank you for sharing it.

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Do you melt the butter, or just put it in the blender in chunks? This reminds of a Shaker lemon tart...with technology applied.

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Don't melt the butter ... just cut it into slices.

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Mmmmm, yum. My Meyer lemons are just ripening now. I'll have to try this one soon. It looks a bit like a lemon curd, but much easier. Two thumbs up for that!! I've never thought about just putting the lemon in a blender for something like this. It makes sense, though, because the Meyer lemon has such a thin skin, there isn't much of the bitter pith that you get with other varieties. Thank you for posting this!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

Thank you! Yikes !...After the snow we just had , I hope that my Meyer lemons survive...also, blood oranges , tangerines, and oranges. It is 34 degrees here today (Calistoga)

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